Jim Corcoran, the 30-year host of A Propos on CBC Music, has announced he’s leaving the long-running show. His last episode will be broadcast on CBC Radio One on Sept. 2 and on CBC Music on Sept. 3. A Propos highlights some of the best recordings and Franco-Canadian artists, with an emphasis on Quebec’s popular music scene. Read Corcoran’s goodbye letter to listeners here.
Jerry Chomyn will retire as program head of Media Studies at University of Guelph-Humber on Aug. 31. Chomyn has been in the role since 2010 after 22 years as director of Broadcast Media at Humber College. An influential figure in the Radio Broadcasting program, he was successful in securing the first FM radio licence for a Toronto college, has received Humber’s Innovator of the Year Award, and is an inductee of the Radio Humber Hall of Fame. A celebration of his career as both a broadcast journalist (Blackburn Radio, CKNX Radio/TV Wingham, CJGX-AM Yorkton) and educator will take place Oct. 30.
Melanie Mariani and Adam Ricard are no longer with the 102.1 the Edge (CFNY-FM) Toronto morning show as of last week. A post to the station’s Facebook page promises details of a new show soon. Mariani had been with Corus since 2008, Ricard since 2014. Also gone is evening/swing announcer Wade MacNeil.
Dave Cockram is the new imaging voice for 102.1 the Edge (CFNY-FM) Toronto. Cockram continues to produce for 104.1 The Dock (CICZ-FM) Midland, in addition to freelance voiceover work for PN Agency.
Rob Kerr has moved on from Sportsnet 960 The Fan (CFAC-AM) Calgary and Sportsnet television after 15 years. Kerr hosted the afternoon drive show and Calgary Flames Radio on the station from 2003 – 2014, when he left to act as the play-by-play voice of the Calgary Flames for Sportsnet. He’s been back doing afternoon on The Fan since 2014. Kerr Tweeted that he’s moving on to a new opportunity, adding that “No bridges were burnt, far from it. The time is right for me to step away from broadcasting.”
Howard Duff is retiring as supervisor of Global Calgary’s technical services department after 37 years. Duff started as a broadcast technologist with Global in 1981, taking on roles over the years from driving and operating the station’s first satellite uplink truck to mobile work, remote transmitter maintenance and assisting in the IT department.
Sonya Fatah is the new editor-in-chief of J-Source.ca. Fatah is an assistant professor in the School of Journalism at Ryerson University where she’s been teaching since 2017. Fatah’s background is in journalism and filmmaking with former stints as the New Delhi correspondent for Boston-based online publication Global Post, in addition to freelance work for the The Globe and Mail, Toronto Star, Maclean’s and The Walrus. She replaces Patricia Elliott who is taking a one-year sabbatical from her position as an associate professor at the School of Journalism at the University of Regina.
Lindsay William-Ross is the new managing editor of Vancouver Is Awesome. William-Ross has been working with the Glacier Media-owned digital publication for the last 10 months as senior writer. She was previously food editor at Daily Hive and former editor-in-chief of Los Angeles news and lifestyle site LAist.com.
Natalie Clancy has been promoted to director of communications at Unifor National. The veteran CBC Vancouver reporter and anchor first joined Unifor in Oct. 2017 as national communications representative.
Vicky Tam has joined the Global News social media team in the newly-created role of National Online Journalist, Social Media, International. Tam had been working as a specialist in Audience Loyalty with Rogers for the last year.
Nick Wells, overnight web producer for CTV News, is moving over to CTV Vancouver in September to take on the role of social media associate producer. Wells has been with CTV since 2015.
Sarolta Saskiw has jumped from CityNews Winnipeg to CityNews Edmonton. Saskiw has previously been a reporter and VJ with CTV Winnipeg, Global Lethbridge and Shaw TV Edmonton.
Élodie Girardin-Lajoie has been appointed vice-president, Corporate Affairs at Videotron. Girardin-Lajoie joined Videotron’s Corporate Affairs department in 2010 and became head of the internal communications team in 2015. She was previously a political staffer, including four years as Press Secretary in the Office of the Leader of the Official Opposition in Québec City.
Paola Tonella is the new director of international sales for Entertainment One (eOne), based in the company’s London office. Prior to joining eOne, Tonella worked with BBC Worldwide for 15 years, most recently serving as Content Television Manager for the Netherlands and Denmark overseeing content sales in Belgium and Finland.
